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Unions in heated split over inclusion of Californian Tom Steyer in Super PAC

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Global Green USA's Millennium Awards Benefiting The Places, The People And The Planet In Need

Tom Steyer speaks at Global Green USA's Millennium Awards at Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, California benefiting the places, the people and the planet in need.; Credit: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Global Green

In an open, heated letter to Richard Trumka, head of the AFL-CIO, a fellow union head has blasted Trumka's alliance with California environmental philanthropist Tom Steyer calling it "political bullshit."

For the 2016 election year, Steyer has joined forces with other large Democratic organizations including the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations to increase voter turnout for their party. The clash is over Steyer's opposition to oil and gas projects such as the Keystone pipeline, which undercuts American job creation seen as central to some unions' missions. The letter from LIUNA (Laborers' International Union of North America) states that Steyer's "'Leave it in the Ground' [position] is not a viable energy policy."

Historically, other unions have come to include environmental planks in their missions (for more on that see Blue-Green Alliance).

Will Trumka disavow his alliance with Steyer? Could this rift harm the Democrats' get-out-the-vote efforts?

Guests:

Steven Greenhouse, Former labor and workplace reporter for “The New York Times,” Working on a new book about the future of the American worker and labor unions

Brian Mahoney, Labor and employment reporter, POLITICO Pro


California Counts: What it takes to bring people to the polls

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California Counts; Credit: Alain McLaughlin

It's no secret that California has low voter turnout. What will it take to bring people to the polls? We traveled to San Francisco Tuesday night to chat with community members and political analysts about what's holding Californians back in weeks leading up to the state primary June 7. 

The town hall was moderated by Larry Mantle, host of KPCC’s AirTalk, and Scott Shafer, senior editor of KQED’s California Politics and Government Desk. It was hosted by California Counts, a collaboration with KPCC in Los Angeles, KQED in San Francisco, Capital Public Radio in Sacramento and KPBS in San Diego.

We were joined by a panel of five guests from across the political spectrum. They fielded questions from the audience on topics that ranged from why voters are undecided in California's Senate race to the future of the Republican party. Here's a recap. Click on the audio to hear more. 

On California's US Senate race

In a Field Poll last month, 48 percent of likely voters in the race to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer were undecided on how they'd vote. The poll showed the top candidates include California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Orange County Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, both Democrats. 

But many voters still don't know who the candidates really are, said ​Mark DiCamillo, senior vice president of Field Research Corporation and director of the Field Poll.

(Here's a list of the 34 candidates you'll see on the ballot.

“I think this race is still wide open," he said. 

DiCamillo noted that voters are more familiar with Democratic candidates than others in this race. So panelists were asked: Why aren't top-tier Republicans running in California's Senate race?

It's pretty simple, said said Harmeet Dhillon, vice chair of the California Republican Party. Because they like their current jobs. 

On making a mistake at the polls

Mindy Romero, founding director of the California Civic Engagement Project at UC Davis, said Californians care about local issues, but they just aren't drawn into those races. 

The panel agreed that it's the media's responsibility to pull the public out of the presidential horse race and to drum up buzz around local candidates instead. 

Plus, there's a downside to Democrats having more control in California, according to Lisa Garcia Bedolla, Chancellor's Professor of education and political science at University of California. She made the argument that because Democrats have a hold in California, it makes it even more confusing for voters. Why? Because it forces them to learn about policy. 

"People care about voting and care about making a mistake," she said, adding that voters need better access to information to drive them to the polls. 

A Democratic hold also allows extra room for tension, said Fiona Ma, chairwoman of the California State Board of Equalization.

"For the most part, we don’t focus on the party, we focus on the issue — so it gets really polarized," she said.  

On appealing to Latinos

Of the estimated 6.7 million eligible but unregistered voters in California, the majority are Latino and Asian-American. 

Romero said rhetoric has to change if the GOP wants to attract more Latinos. She said Latinos voted Democrat in 1994 when Prop 187 was approved. And they never looked back.  (The controversial ballot measure denied public services — such as public education and healthcare — to those living in the country illegally.) “That has stayed and stuck,” she said.

Sean T. Walsh, former adviser to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, agreed that the Republican Party needs to rework its message. 

"We're selling a message in California that is too much akin to the Midwest or South," he said.  

To hear more — on Prop 13, the two party establishment and the timing of California's primary — click on the audio above. 

Guests 

Mark DiCamillo, senior VP of Field Research Corporation and director of the Field Poll

Lisa Garcia Bedolla, Chancellor's Professor of education and political Science at University of California, Berkeley

Harmeet Dhillon, vice chair of the California Republican Party and 2016 RNC National Committeewoman-elect

Mindy Romero, founding director of the California Civic Engagement Project at UC Davis

Fiona Ma, chairwoman of the California State Board of Equalization

Sean T. Walsh, media and political strategist and member of the State Wide Leadership Council for the Public Policy Institute of California; he is a former adviser to California Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pete Wilson

Series: California Counts

California Counts is a collaboration of KPBS, KPCC, KQED and Capital Public Radio to report on the 2016 election. The coverage focuses on major issues and solicits diverse voices on what's important to the future of California.

Read more in this series and let us know your thoughts on Twitter using the hashtag #CACounts.

What new overtime rules mean for California’s workers, small businesses

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U.S. President Barack Obama announces executive actions on U.S. immigration policy during a nationally televised address from the White House in Washington, DC.; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

Millions more workers could soon be making more money thanks to overtime changes the Obama administration announced today.

Starting December 1, the regulations being issued by the Labor Department would double the threshold under which salaried workers must be paid overtime, from to $47,476 from $23,660.

This rule is part of the patchwork of changes on the national, state, and even municipal level to raise wages for workers that have small businesses and large corporations figuring out how to balance the books, by either cutting workers or raising prices.

Notably, burger chain Wendy’s announced last week that they would make self-serve kiosks available to over 6,000 franchise owners, allowing them to cut staff.

With files from AP

Guests:

Tamara Draut, Vice President of Policy at Demos - a public policy organization focused on equity; Author of the brand new book, “Sleeping Giant: How the New Working Class Will Transform America” (Doubleday; April 2016)

Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a think tank focused on free-market principles; she’s also former chief economist of the US Department of Labor and served under Presidents George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan

Micah Uetricht, associate editor, In These Times, a non-profit magazine dedicated to advancing democracy and economic justice

LAPD Chief Beck: Skid Row dealers complained counting singles gave them carpal tunnel

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Skid Row police shooting

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck speaks at a press conference on Monday, March 2, 2015, a day after an officer-involved shooting on L.A.'s Skid Row that left a homeless man dead.; Credit: Rina Palta/KPCC

"I had never seen $600,000 in $1 bills and it just about fills the back of a pick-up truck."

That was L.A.'s Chief Charlie Beck on AirTalk this morning, discussing a monthslong sting operation that netted $2 million in drug money from dealers on Skid Row, one of the most impoverished areas of the city. He added that it took the department more than 3 days to count all the cash. The operation was part of a combined city/county effort to tackle the problems facing downtown's vulnerable homeless population.

Beck also addressed how California's failure to fund addiction programs for those recently released from jail under realignment has contributed, in his view, to an uptick in petty crime and homelessness.  

"If you’re not going to get folks with addiction issues into some kind of treatment then they are going to relapse and live on the street possibly," he said. "Part of the promise of [Proposition] 47 was that we would have some ability to put them into programs to stop that from happening… and that hasn’t happened."

Beck also commented on the growing opioid overdose epidemic, LAPD's new Tesla cruisers, the mishandling of a recent jail suicide, as well as the legacy of former L.A. Police Chief Willie Williams, who died recently.

Interview highlights

On Officer Donald Thompson receiving the White House Medal of Valor for rescuing a car accident victim off-duty

He got second and third degree burns himself and insisted that he finish his shift that day. I’ve known him for many years. He’s a big teddy bear of a guy that has a huge heart.
 
We have many, many good stories about police officers doing the right thing, but unfortunately the public narrative right now, which is part media and part public narrative, doesn’t seem to include those stories. That bothers me because I know the kind of risks that my folks take everyday, and how great their hearts are and the wonderful things that they do, and so not to see that get recognized.

You know we do have a tough job and our jobs are sometimes violent and sometimes things go wrong and that’s the nature of policing unfortunately. But it is important to recognize that these are heroes, these are American heroes.” 

On the recent Skid Row drug busts and that incredible seize of $600,000... in $1 bills

The county and the city are finally working together with LAHSA and many of the care providers to develop and implement a program to get people off from living on our streets, which is what we need to do as a society. It’s unconscionable that we allow folks with mental illness and drug addiction to live on our sidewalks when we could do better for them.
 
Part of the strategy was to make an impact on drug dealing. It reduces the will of people to get off the street and it exacerbates the issues of the mentally ill. So we did a year-long investigation with undercover buys, wiretaps, the whole nine yards…. If memory serves me correctly, we had 30 indictments, recovered over $2 million in cash — $600,000 of which was in $1 bills. I had never seen $600,000 in $1 bills and it just about fills the back of a pick-up truck. It took, with a money counter, three days to count.

You can buy a dollar’s worth of cocaine on Skid Row. It isn’t much but you can buy that. And in the wiretaps and in the undercover operations, the drug dealers would complain about having to count so many ones and they were getting carpal tunnel syndrome. They would talk about how that's the nature of the business. I talk about it not because it’s not so unusual to see the small denominations, but because it is characteristic of the victimization of people that are the most vulnerable, which to me is what Skid Row is all about. So we need as a society to do better. And part of that is having alternatives and part of that is having strict rules about behavior and encouraging people to go to those alternatives. 

On individual responsibility in combatting the opioid overdose epidemic

This one of the reasons that we do the pill disposal days. Most of this stuff comes out of our medicine cabinets. There are doctors that overprescribe and we need to do a better job of tracking them… But we also need to do as individuals, recognize that if you’re not going to use your prescription, there are ways to get rid of them. We intend to combine that with our gun buybacks and try to get some of these dangerous things out of houses that have no business being there if people don’t responsibly use them.

On the LAPD’s horrible website

We are redoing our website and we are including with that online reporting for some crimes. We are gonna do it for things like vandalism and loss reports and many of the reports that people have to do for insurance purposes. Part of my budget this year is to be able to launch that. Unfortunately it’s been a rough few years, money-wise — not only for the LAPD but for all of government, but I promise you we are not only aware of our website but are working on it.

On how the LAPD mishandled notifying family after the jail suicide of Wakiesha Williams

In this particular incident this was a suicide. Unfortunately she hung herself. She was a person that had had multiple issues with dealing with the structure that supports folks with mental issues. Unfortunately she committed suicide in our jail. That was very tragic and then to compound that, she was transported still surviving to the hospital and pronounced [dead] at the hospital. Then technically it becomes the coroner’s responsibility to notify next of kin. Unfortunately that didn’t happen as quickly as it could have and our folks didn’t take up the slack. That was something that I think could been handled better, the notification piece, but the facts of death aren’t changed by that. 

Whether realignment has contributed to homelessness and crime

They do have an effect on homeless issues and crime. Sometimes people are released back into society without proper preparation. There’s an op-ed in the Times today about the reallocation of funds from Prop 47 savings, and I think that’s what’s missing. It’s not so much that we think everybody should be locked up, because I don’t think everybody should be, but if you’re not going to get folks with addiction issues into some kind of treatment then they are going to relapse and live on the street possibly, and they are going to commit petty crimes to support their habit. Part of the promise of 47 was that we would have some ability to put them into programs to stop that from happening… and that hasn’t happened.

On how to deal with fireworks on Independence Day

Do you really want me to arrest all your neighbors? Really? I mean, really? Do you want us to drive up? That’s my point. If it was just some people “over there” that would be one thing, but unfortunately it’s a lot of people everywhere. We try to be a reasonable police department whose goal is not to lock up the entire city of Los Angeles and unfortunately societal norms kind of fall apart on 4th of July. I don’t wanna defray my responsibility because we do make citations, but this is an issue that can be hugely influenced by society, by neighbors not putting up with it and talking about it ahead of time. We will be more than happy to help lead those discussions, but that has to be a social contract between people who live near each other. 

Why the LAPD is testing the Tesla S as a new police vehicle

One, it’s a four door which is huge for us, as you know. Two, this is a sedan that has a monstrous trunk and huge boot in the front. And then most importantly it has a 17-inch screen embedded into the dash that has the ability to support all of our dispatch and all of our information systems.

But nobody should think we are gonna be buying Tesla Ss, because we are not! We didn’t buy either of these, these are on loan from Tesla. The reason to have them is to see how we can interface our technology with these cars. The ability to quickly access information, the ability to get data into police cars or to get data from police cars back into the station, you know that is the Holy Grail of technology and policing. These cars are the platform we are most looking for. Ford has done a tremendous job too. Our newest Explorers have in-dash screens... Think of the last police car you looked in and that big old laptop screwed to the dash, hanging between two seats. That’s not the way that car was designed to be and its dangerous in an accident. It’s a bad solution. We are looking for cars that offer a better solution.

On the legacy of Willie Williams

He became chief at a very, very, very tough time. I don’t think people really appreciate how daunting his task was. It was 1992. The crime rate was four times what it is today, including the homicide rate, the rape rate, the robbery rate. Every measure that you can think of was four times as great as today. They had almost 1,200 murders that year, so he had that. He was the first African-American chief, and the first outside chief in anybody’s memory so it was a very very difficult time and I believe he did the best he could. History judges us all in hindsight, but I think that everybody has to appreciate how difficult his task was.

Guest:

Charlie Beck, Chief, Los Angeles Police Department. He tweets from @LAPDChiefBeck     

Doctors open up about how they'll counsel patients once aid in dying becomes CA law next month

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Hospice Cares For Terminally Ill During Final Days

Terminally ill patient Jim Staloch (R), caresses a dove as part of an animal therapy program while at the Hospice of Saint John in Lakewood, Colorado.; Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

Starting on June 9th, doctors in California will be allowed to prescribe lethal medication to terminally ill patients with six months or less to live.

The End of Life Option Act will make California the fifth U.S. state to allow doctors to prescribe these kinds of drugs, though it is not a requirement. Doctors are allowed to opt out of the law if they wish, and though some doctors will, those who opt out do not have to refer patients to a doctor who will write the prescription.

Some in the palliative care field are welcoming the law after years of debate over the ethics and legality of physicians aiding a patient in ending his or her life. Others say that the law goes directly against a doctor’s instinct and that other options are always preferable to ending one’s own life.

How are local doctors preparing for the implementation of the new law? What are they asking and telling their patients? How did they come to the decision to opt in or out? How are local hospitals responding?

Guests:

Stephanie O’Neill, KPCC health care correspondent; she’s been covering California’s End-of-Life Option Act and its implementation; she tweets from @ReporterSteph

Hilary Fausett M.D., pain management specialist at Foothill Center for Wellness and Pain Management

Warren Fong, M.D., president of the Medical Oncology Association of Southern California

One professor shares his CV of failures -- what are yours? And do you talk about them?

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Third Annual Asian Diversity Career Expo Begins

Li-Yang Lin holds his resume at the Asian Diversity Career Expo in New York City.; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Let’s be real. Johannes Haushofer, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs has an actual curriculum vitae that’s impressive.

A graduate of Oxford, Harvard and the University of Zurich with two Ph.D.s, and forty papers he’s preparing or published, he’s no academic slouch.

But, despite his rosy resume, he’s experienced some rejection and failure, and has listed them in a cheeky, but compelling document titled, “CV of Failures.” He took up the challenge as put forth by scientist, Melanie Stefan, who noticed how scientists (and people) hide their failures and highlight their successes.

Haushofer’s goal was altruistic. He sees the publication of his misses as an opportunity to make others feel better about their rejections, so they don’t feel alone in feeling not good enough. He believes successes and failures are born of a randomly organized world.

How responsible are we for our wins and losses? Remember President Lincoln’s famous fails (lost his job, a nervous breakdown, lost bid two times for U.S. Senate?). Do you learn from not getting what you want? Or, wallow in it?

Guest:

Johannes Haushofer, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs, Princeton University 

The 1960s through the prism of the L.A. Dodgers

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"The Last Innocents" by Michael Leahy.; Credit: Harper Collins

Longtime Washington Post scribe Michael Leahy tackles the turbulent 1960s through the lens of the country’s favorite pastime, specifically the ethnically and socioeconomically diverse group of players that made up the core of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Marked by social upheavals, the Sixties was not too shabby of a decade for the Dodgers, which won the World Series in both 1963 and 1965. But the on-field success didn’t always translated to better pay for many of its non-unionized players.

Leahy conducted extensive interviews with Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax, unrivalled base-stealer Maury Wills, slick first baseman Wes Parkers and four other members of the team, detailing their personal struggles and battles with the Dodger front office against the backdrop of a burgeoning civil rights movement and the Vietnam War.

Guest:

Michael Leahy, author of the new book, “The Last Innocents: The Collision of the Turbulent Sixties and the Los Angeles Dodgers” (Harper, 2016). He was a longtime writer for the Washington Post and the Washington Post Magazine

What we know about EgyptAir Flight 804

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EgyptAir Flight From Paris Missing Over Mediterranean

Mervit Mounir (L), and Answar Moissen, talk with journalists in front of the Egypt Air In flight services building where family and friends of the Egypt Air flight are gathering on in Cairo, Egypt. Their relative was on the plan, they last talked with her when she was recently married.; Credit: David Degner/Getty Images

Egyptian authorities now say debris they found in the Mediterranean Sea that had originally been linked to the wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804, which disappeared from radar on Thursday while traveling from Paris to Cairo, is not actually from the wreck of that plane. An EgyptAir official told CNN's Jake Tapper that the original reports were mistaken and that upon closer inspection, the debris was not linked to the missing flight.

66 people, including crew members, were aboard the flight when it disappeared, and the search for the plane's wreckage is ongoing. There are multiple theories about what could've caused the crash, but there are obviously concerns it could be terrorism.

What are investigators looking for right now? What does it mean if terrorism is the cause for teh crash? Could a mechanical failure actually have caused a flight to go missing like this? How will this have an impact on Egyptian tourism, and subsequently the Egyptian economy?

Guests:

Colin Clarke, associate political scientist at RAND Corporation

Jeffrey Price, associate professor of aerospace science at Metropolitan State University of Denver; he is an expert in aviation and airport security and emergency management

Rami Khouri, Senior Fellow at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs of the American University of Beirut and a nonresident senior fellow in the Middle East Initiative at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs


CDC identifies nearly 300 pregnant women infected with Zika in the US

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The CDC has announced Zika’s larger presence in the US, identifying 279 pregnant women who have the virus.; Credit: Alexandra Beier/Getty Images

We have been aware of the Zika virus since 1947, only identifying cases in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, but in January this year it became a public health concern after it was detected in Brazil.

For healthy adults, the effects of Zika are mild, but if that healthy adult is pregnant, the virus can create severe brain defects in the fetus, including microcephaly.

Now, as we approach summer travel season, the CDC has announced Zika’s larger presence in the US, identifying 279 pregnant women who have the virus. So we’ve got some doctors to help answer our personal and public health concerns: What do we have to worry about? Should people delay planned pregnancies? If you are traveling to Zika areas, should you avoid pregnant friends and family when you come home?

Guests:

Amesh Adalja, M.D., Senior Associate at the Center for Health Security at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he specializes in studying and preventing the epidemics and infectious diseases.  

Neil Silverman, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UCLA, perinatal point person on Zika for the California Department of Public Health

The American tradition of modifying, tweaking, and customizing our meals

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The value we put on freedom and individuality extends to what we eat. ; Credit: SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP/Getty Images

Apparently there’s something we Americans do with food that dazzles tourists when they visit and frustrates chefs when we leave: The value we put on freedom and individuality extends to what we eat.

Think about it: “Lightly salted” and “dressing on the side” are basically inalienable rights when it comes to dining out. Can you even imagine a table setting without salt, pepper, or ketchup? More restaurants low and high have been using technology and tweaking their models to cater to picky customers… while some are laying down firm rules.

Just like clothing and cars, food is another thing we consume that can show off who we think we are. Are you the one who can’t order a dish without a modification? Or are you the one rolling your eyes at your picky friend?

Guest:

Sophie Egan, author of  "Devoured" (HarperCollins), program director at the Culinary Institute of America, contributor to the New York Times Well blog.

The twisting path to legalizing same-sex marriage in Mexico

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Antonio Medina (L) and Jorge Cerpa are pictured during the first ceremony in Mexico in which a gay couple signs a civil contract that offers same-sex couples the same rights as marriage, on March 16th, 2007 in Mexico City. ; Credit: RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images

Earlier this week Mexico’s president Enrique Pena Nieto proposed amending the constitution to codify same-sex marriage across the country.

He will need two-thirds of Congress to support him and a majority of the 31 states would have to vote in approval. Legal in Mexico City since 2009 and in five states, same-sex marriage remains a controversial issue in the country.

The Supreme Court ruled last year that banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional but did not go so far as to legalize it themselves, recognizing various local resistance to the change.

How are Mexico’s different regions responding to the push for same-sex marriage rights? What is the landscape of LGBT activism in Mexico? How big a role does religion play in how LGBT rights are viewed by Mexicans?

Guests:

Enrique Torre Molina, campaigns manager at Allout, an international LGBT rights organization, and long-time LGBT rights activist in Mexico; he tweets @eTorreMolina

Andrew Selee, executive vice president and senior advisor to the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center

Meet the Candidates: Software developer Ron Unz on his plan for California

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Cal Counts Senate Debate

Ron Unz at a U.S. Senate debate at KPBS in San Diego, May 10, 2016.; Credit: Milan Kovacevic/KPBS

Our series of conversations continues with the leading candidates to fill Barbara Boxer’s U.S. Senate seat.

Kamala Harris and Loretta Sanchez are ahead in the race, with Ron Unz, Duf Sundheim and Tom Del Beccaro following. Last week, Sundheim gave his positions on everything from water management to immigration reform. On deck today is software developer, Ron Unz.

Unz has touted his non-political background as a plus, giving him the freedom to speak his mind without the same allegiances as his contenders.

On the issues, he has written extensively about immigration. His most notable plight has been an English-only program in schools as a way to assimilate Spanish-speaking children to the U.S. Unz has also written about the downfalls of immigration, noting it as a cause of over-population, overextending the country’s natural resources.

Unz’s positions also include raising the nationwide minimum wage to $12 an hour, using existing federal funding to cut college tuition costs and opposing affirmative action.

Larry Mantle speaks with Unz today about his plans for the state and how being a businessman would impact his role in the Senate.

Guest:

Ron Unz, U.S. Senate Candidate

TV producers of Caitlyn Jenner's 'I am Cait' tone down drama

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2016 Winter TCA Tour - Day 10

(L-R) Tv personalities Chandi Moore, Candis Cayne, executive producer/tv personality Caitlyn Jenner, tv personalities Ella Giselle, Jennifer Finney Boylan and executive producer Andrea Metz speak onstage during the 'I Am Cait' panel discussion at the NBCUniversal portion of the 2016 Winter TCA Tour.; Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Caitlyn Jenner, formerly Bruce, is in the news and tabloids on a daily basis, so the reality-show producers of "I am Cait" face a tough task in trying to humanize rather than sensationalize America's most famous transgender activist.

Jeff Jenkins, executive producer of the Bunim/Murray production that is in its second season, says the show is a very different animal than their other franchise shows focused on Jenner's famous family, the Kardashians.

Jenkins explains, "On 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians,' we accentuate conflict, sex, drama. In 'I am Cait,' we are flies on the walls not searching for an agenda. Another key difference is the use of editing and music. On the Kardashians music is used to heighten to the 10th power whatever emotions those characters are experiencing. On Cait, there is almost no music or it's low key. The editing is soft. We are not trying to force reactions."

Jenkins says those choices stem from Jenner's sense of responsibility for representing the trans community. Jenkins says, "I think she takes that responsibility more seriously than anything she has done in her whole life."

How has "I am Cait"been received by audiences, especially at a time when transgender politics are hot-buttons across the country? What critiques and praise do you have for the show? How has Jenner fared as a representative of the trans community?

Guest:

Jeff Jenkins, Executive Vice President of Development & Programming for Bunim/Murray Productions; Jenkins oversees E!’s “I am Cait” and the entire franchise of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”

When a child lies, a parent’s ability to tell they are doing so sometimes dies

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A study completed by Canadian researchers suggests that parents are particularly bad at telling when their own child is not telling the truth. ; Credit: Kristian Dowling/Getty Images

Not to say any of us are good at telling when children lie or not, but a study completed by Canadian researchers suggests that parents are particularly bad at telling when their own child is not telling the truth.

Why is this? The parents were “very confident” in their answer that their child wasn’t lying, revealing a “truth bias,” where we tend to trust and believe the people with whom we have close relationships.

But we also know it’s not as simple as that. Sometimes we might accept a child’s lie because we know they can’t communicate their true feelings or because, maybe with older children, calling it out would just lead to more drama.

Do you have a story of believing your child and later learning the truth? Or perhaps you recall a time when you lied to your parents and got away with it… and are now second-guessing whether you really did. Call us at 866-893-5722.

FPPC Chair weighs in on the regulation of campaign finance

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US-VOTE-ELECTION

Citizens vote on Election Day at Fire Station #71 in Alhambra, Los Angeles County, California,; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

As the chair of The Fair and Political Practices Committee, Jodi Remke has made ethical political donations a priority.

This includes ensuring the legality of all campaign finance activity for lobbying and expenditures, not to mention the regulation of “dark money.”

Remke is now leading the FPPC in a revamp of the Political Reform Act, which was designed to regulate campaign finance. Since its inception in 1974, the Act has undergone many changes making it difficult to interpret. This has created an advantage to those who want to find loopholes in where election money goes.

Larry Mantle speaks to Remke today on the revision of the Act, what steps are taken ahead of elections to enforce regulations and new technology tools for transparency.

Political Reform Act 2016 by scprweb

Guest:

Jodi Remke, Chair, The Fair and Political Practices Committee


Monday political roundtable: Sanders lawsuit, final day to register & a roundup of CA’s ballot

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A supporter at a Sanders campaign rally at California State University, Dominguez Hills on May 17, 2016 in Carson, California. ; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Today marks the final day to register to vote in California’s June 7 primary, but some Sanders supporters wants to change that.

Bay Area lawyer William Shipnel has filed a federal lawsuit to extend the voter registration deadline for Californians. He argues there's widespread confusion about the state’s Presidential Primary rules - specifically for independent voters who've declared No Party Preference.

They need to request a partisan ballot if they want to vote for president since their default ballot is non-partisan. KPCC political reporter Mary Plummer walks us through the latest with that lawsuit, LA County’s 2 supervisor seat races and more.

We’ll also get a reset on the week ahead in the presidential campaigns as all eyes turn to California.

Click here to verify your voter registration status.

If you have questions about voter registration or about heading to the polls, you can call KPCC's “Human Voter Guide Hotline.” Call or text us their questions: 323-538-5722 (KPCC).

Guests:

Mary Plummer, KPCC’s senior political reporter and Human Voter Guide; she tweets from @MaryPlummer

John Iadarola, creator and host of the daily infotainment talk show ‘ThinkTank’ along with Hannah Cranston, part of The Young Turks Network; he’s also the main political fill in host for online news show The Young Turks; he tweets @johniadarola

Zach Courser, Research Director of the Dreier Roundtable and visiting Assistant Professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College; he tweets @zcourser

Freddie Gray Ruling: Analyzing Edward Nero’s acquittal

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Judge Renders Verdict For Officer Accused In Death Of Freddie Gray

Baltimore City Sheriff's Deputies surround and protect Baltimore Police Officer Edward Nero's family members as demonstrators and members of the news media crowd around the Mitchell Courthouse-West after Nero was found not guilty on all charges against him related to the arrest and death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Maryland. ; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A Baltimore police officer has been acquitted of misdemeanor charges in the arrest of Freddie Gray.

Officer Edward Nero was accused of assaulting Gray and arresting him without probable cause in April 2015. He was also accused of being negligent in not buckling Gray into a police van; Gray’s neck was broken while in the van. An attorney for Nero says it was the responsibility of the van’s driver, and not Nero, to ensure that Gray was wearing a seatbelt, and Nero did not knowingly break police procedure, or the law.

Nero faced charges of second-degree assault, recklessness endangerment and misconduct in office. He is the second officer in the Freddie Gray case to appear in court. What implications will this have for the remaining officers in the case?

Guest:

David Jaros, Professor of Law, University of Baltimore

Why women don’t need periods, and other questions about modern period suppression

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As contraception methods become more advanced, more women are becoming savvier about whether or not they need to suffer through a monthly period.; Credit: LOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images

As contraception methods become more advanced, more women are becoming savvier about whether or not they need to suffer through a monthly period.

Some contraception methods, like IUDs, arm implants and hormone shots, do away with a woman’s monthly menstrual cycle. While not having to deal with “that time of the month” is a welcomed idea for many women, others prefer to have the reassurance of not being pregnant that having a period brings, and the idea of a menstrual cycle being “natural” to female identity.

Some believe that having a monthly period can even foster a sense of “feminine power.” While it is the general consensus of the medical community that periods are not necessary if a woman is taking birth control, there are still many misunderstandings from the general public about how period suppression works with contraceptive use, and if there are any risks involved.

For more on this, Larry Mantle speaks to Dr. Ingrid Rodi, an OBGYN and reproductive endocrinologist from UCLA, and Layne Kumetz, board certified OBGYN with a private practice serving the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills area.

Guests:

Ingrid Rodi,  OBGYN and reproductive endocrinologist from UCLA.

Layne Kumetz, Board Certified OBGYN with a private practice in Los Angeles

'Oriental' stripped from government documents

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Meng just successfully passed a bill by unanimous consent and with President Obama's final signature that strips from federal law the term used historically to describe Asian Americans.; Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

If Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) has her way, the term "Oriental" will die with the last old folks who still use it.

Meng just successfully passed a bill by unanimous consent and with President Obama's final signature that strips from federal law the term used historically to describe Asian Americans.

Experts say the offensiveness of Oriental stems entirely from its historical context - it's associated with a time period when Asians had a subordinate status. The cultural historian Edward Said even popularized the term "Orientalism" in academia to refer to “patronizing Western attitudes towards Eastern societies that is used to justify Western imperialism.”

What images and connotations are conjured by the word? What are similar examples of words that are not slurs in and of themselves yet became offensive? How do you feel about the word and how have you heard it used?

MODERNIZATION OF TERMS RELATING TO MINORITIES by scprweb

Guest:

Frank Wu, Chancellor & Dean of University of California Hastings College of Law (and Professor of Law); Author, "Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White"

Explainer: Bill Cosby to stand criminal trial over 2004 encounter

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Bill Cosby arrives for the second day of hearings at the Montgomery County Courthouse February 3, 2016 in Norristown, Pennsylvania.; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

Bill Cosby has been ordered to stand trial for sexual assault. The alleged incident dates back to 2004.

Former Temple University employee Andrea Constand claims Cosby gave her a substance that incapacitated her before he carried out a sexual assault. Constand was the first person to publicly accuse Cosby of such a crime.

More than 50 women have since related similar incidents. The 78-year-old Cosby faces a term of up to ten years, if convicted. Arraignment is set for July 20th. We talk about Cosby’s defense strategies and the prosecution. How many accusers will testify in the case? How does this affect concurrent civil cases against Cosby?

Guests:

Dominic Patten, Legal Editor at the entertainment industry news website, Deadline, who’s been following the story. He tweets @DeadlineDominic

Matthew Galluzzo, partner at Galluzzo & Johnson, a criminal defense firm in New York City and a former prosecutor in the Sex Crimes Unit of the New York County District Attorney’s Office

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